Chipbox weights

[Dean Lofthouse]

A lot of you know I am wanting to built a chipbox on the back of my Landy out of sheet Aluminium welded at the corners, I wanted it self supporting. In other words no steel frame.

 

To do this, I would have to use relatively thin aluminium sheet and have ribs bent into it as stiffeners, but my thoughts were to just use 5mm aluminium and forget the stiffeners.

 

I always sit and work things out before going ahead and have come up with some suprising results.

 

I made a scale model of the chipbox then worked out how many square metres of ali would be used, then worked out weight per square metre.

 

Material to build box = 15.88 sq/m

 

3.2mm Ali = 8.7kg per sq/m chipbox would weigh 138kg

 

5mm Ali = 13.59kg per sq/m chipbox would weigh 215kg

 

19mm ply = 8.88kg per sq/m chip box would weigh 141kg

 

So it looks like spending a lot of money on a custom built Ali box would not save me any weight

 

One consideration is that the ply would hold lots of moisture and increase weight dramatically when wet.

[Topcat]

Have you tried...bog roll holders a cereal box and some sticky back plastic...lol

 

Seriously I'd go for the ply. Could you not use Marine ply...won't that help with the moisture probs.But the alloy sounds like it would look the dogs dangly bits

[Dean Lofthouse]

Just searching around on the net now to see if I can find info on that composite board they use to build box trailers, you know that ply board thats got a white grp coat.

 

It would look dead smart finished with aluminium corners etc like truck backs are.

 

Hard to find any info though

[J The Tree]

Look up servicemetals.co.uk- will supply the Glasssonite you require or another company we have used called C.V.R, lost their details so may need to Google them. 11mm Glassonite is perfect for what you need

[skyhuck]

As you aways work near home could you not get a couple of decent wheel barrows?

 

They carry about the same as a landy, but would be much cheaper to run!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only kidding, alloy does look really smart and would last for years.

[Justme]

What about 1mm steel with angle braces?

 

Or make a frame & get a bespoke lorry canvas back made to fit. You can get bouncy castle makers to do the material bit.

 

Justme

[Dean Lofthouse]

Look up servicemetals.co.uk- will supply the Glasssonite you require or another company we have used called C.V.R, lost their details so may need to Google them. 11mm Glassonite is perfect for what you need

 

Bloody hell !!

 

Cheers J , I've used service metals before for some Aliminium, it's only at Leeds.

 

Huck, If I fit a knuckle boom to the back of the barrow and paint it green, I could call it a Mog

[Dean Lofthouse]

What about 1mm steel with angle braces?

 

Or make a frame & get a bespoke lorry canvas back made to fit. You can get bouncy castle makers to do the material bit.

 

Justme

 

I was trying to do away with a frame type back or any chance of it rattling, may have to go that route if it gets too much trouble.

[J The Tree]

Sorry forgot to add, the GRP panelling we have used is called dry freight- you can buy the alloy edging and finishing strips from both suppliers also- very easy to use a good weekend will see the job done-

[Kev Stephenson]

Dean,

 

Company in Meltham Mills called equitrek (based just up the road from the tip if you know where that is) specialise in building horse box vans and trailers using the white GRP panels. Might be worth contacting them to see if they could help. I know they fabricate all their own bits (panels, angles corners, doors, etc) so might be interested in a 1 off landie project if you supplied dimensions/drawings. I am sure they won't be the busiest people in the world with the current economic conditions.

 

Kev